Molasses dispenser



Aug. 18, 1942. E. F. EVANS MOLASSES DISPENSER Filed July 25, 1941 ssh'ee's-sheet 1 Inventor lilo) m 1 j Zdlw'iifEI/wm r 1 I I I l l 1 l I lI l r I I l 1 1 l l l a I l I I 1 I I I I l l I l Il" ,\|\N u, E. 1 Wi--l {.Iy M1111@ m 1 MY l www Aug. 1s, 1942. E F EVANS 2,293,643

MOLASSES DISPENSER Filed July 25, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor A[tori/ey Aug. 18, 1942. E, F. EVANS MOLASSES DISPENSER Filed July 25,1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III/1111111117114 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNTEDSTATS PTENT OFFICE MOLASSES DISPENSER Edwin F. Evans, Belle Fourche, S.Dak.

Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 404,067

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a molasses dispenser mainly designed forfeeding molasses to lambs or sheep, the general object of the inventionbeing to provide a horizontally arranged grooved roller, the grooves ofwhich are designed to receive the molasses with means whereby the sheepcan only reach the molasses by licking the molasses from the roller,thus avoiding the molasses getting on the wool.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for rotating theroller by the sheep at-Y tempting to reach the roller, with a trough forreceiving molasses and in which the roller partly extends so that thereis no danger of the molasses being wasted upon the ground.

This invention also consists in certain other features oi constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1is an elevational view of the invention with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is an end view of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In these views the numeral I indicates a base from which rise thevertical end pieces 2 which support a horizontal top member 3 and theupper side members 4. A trough 5 is formed between the end pieces bymeans of the lower side pieces 6 and the horizontal piece I which formsthe bottom of the trough. Side pieces 8 extend between the end piecesbelow the trough to close in the space of the upright structure belowthe trough and intermediate narrow side pieces 9 are fastened at theirends to the end pieces 2 and are spaced above the side pieces 6 of thetrough and below the side pieces 4. Doors I0 are connected by hinges IIto the lower side edges of the side pieces 4 and these doors whenlowered will partly cover the spaces between the members 4 and 6 andwill rest on the members 3. Chains II connect with the doors and withhooks I2 on the side pieces 4 for holding the doors in adjustedposition. These doors when in open position will slope downwardly andoutwardly and form awnings over the animals feeding from the device. Ahorizontally arranged through the center of the roller and through theend pieces 2 and this roller has a portion located in the trough and itsperiphery is formed with longitudinally extending grooves I5. On theends of the shaft I4 beyond the side pieces 2 small gears I'I arelocated and fastened to said ends and large gears I8 mesh with thesegears II, these large gears being connected to the ends of a shaft I9which passes through the end pieces and is located above the roller.

An elongated longitudinally extending platform 20 is arranged at eachside of the upright structure and each platform is carried by the shorthorizontally extending arms of a pair of L-shaped members 2|, eachformed of angle iron with the long armextending upwardly substantiallyparallel to the upright structure. The upper ends of the long arms areprovided with a vertical row of holes 22 any one of which is to receivea pivot pin 23 for pivoting to a lever 24 which, in turn, is pivoted asat 25 to an upright member 26 at each end of the structure, the lowerends of the upright members 26 forming bearings for the shaft I9. At oneend the lever 24 is extended and this extended end of each lever 24 isadjustably connected to a link 25 by means of the pin 26 engaging anyone of a row of holes 2'I in the upper end of the link. The lower end ofthe link or pitman is pivoted to a spoke of the large gear I8 as shownat 28.

Thus an animal reaching for the roller will step upon a platform andthrough means of the linkage shown will rotate the gear wheels I8 which,in turn, rotate the gears Il to cause rotary movement of the roller.Thus the roller is rotated step by step by the animals feeding from theroller.

A tank 29 is supported upon the structure and has a spigot 30 connectedwith the lower part thereof which when opened will permit the syrup ormolasses to flow from the tank through an opening 3| in the top member 3and thus pass to a trough 32 supported by the brackets 33 extending fromthe top member 3. This trough slopes downwardly and outwardly from itscentral point where it receives the molasses from the spigot and it isof V-shape in cross section and has the perforations 35 therein throughwhich the molasses passes onto the roller I3.

A guide pin 36 is provided for a member 2I to prevent rocking movementof the platform and a drain opening is formed in the trough which isclosed by a plug 3l so that by removroller I3 is fastened to a shaft I4which passes 55 ing this plug the molasses in the trough can.

be drained and the trough cleaned. The pin 36 is slidably engaged by oneof the members 2|, as by projection through a slot 36 in said onemember, so that laterally swinging movement of the platform supportingmember 2| is prevented. While the drawings do not show one of these pinsfor the opposite platform supporting member, such a pin can be used ifdesired and necessary.

Thus it will be seen that this invention will supply the grooves of theroller I3 with molasses and thle sheep or other animals to get thismolasses must lick the roller and the animals must properly reach intothe space above the trough to contact the roller. Thus there is no wasteof the molasses and there is but little danger of the molasses gettingon the wool of the sheep and the roller is automatically turned by theanimals getting on and off the platforms.

As will be seen the lowering of one platform will cause partial rotarymovement of the roller in one direction and the lowering of the other'platform will cause partial rotary movement of the roller in an oppositedirection.

It is thought from the foregoing description `that the advantages andnovel features of the invention will .be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a feeding device of the class described, an upright member havinga trough at its lower part, a grooved roller supported for rotarymovement and having a part located in the trough, cross pieces spacedabove the upper edges of the trough for preventing animals placing theirheads into the trough and the space above the same while permitting theanimals to lick the roller, a platform on which the animals stand toreach the roller and means for imparting movement to the roller by theweight of the animal on the platform, a tank containing molassessupported on the top of the device, a cock for feeding the material fromthe tank and a trough receiving the material from the cock anddistributing it upon the roller.

2. In a molasses feeding device, an upright structure having a troughformed at its lower part, a roller journaled in the structure and partlylocated in the trough, said roller having grooves in its circumferenceextending longitudinally, a tank supported on the structure, a cock forcontrolling the flow of material from the tank, a trough for receivingthe material from the cock, said trough sloping downwardly and outwardlyfrom the center and having perforations therein for the passage of thematerial from the trough onto the roller, a platform at each side of theupright structure and supported for vertical movement, and means forimparting movement to the` roller by vertical movement of eitherplatform.

EDWIN F. EVANS.

